Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन गोपनीयं निधानवत् । सुकृतं कीर्तनाद्व्यर्थं भवेद्भस्महुतं तथा

Transliteration

tasmātsarvaprayatnena gopanīyaṃ nidhānavat | sukṛtaṃ kīrtanādvyarthaṃ bhavedbhasmahutaṃ tathā

Translation

C’est pourquoi, de tout son effort, on doit cacher son mérite comme un trésor. En le chantant par vanité, la bonne action devient vaine, telle une offrande jetée dans la cendre.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभूतम् (therefore/from that)

• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: with all effort
• सर्वप्रयत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्व-प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3), एकवचन; साधनार्थे अव्ययीभाववत् (with all effort)

• गोपनीयम्: should be kept secret
• गोपनीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गुप् (धातु) + अनीय (कृत्)
• Form: अनीय-कृदन्त (gerundive), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be concealed’

• निधानवत्: like a treasure
• निधानवत्: Sambandha (Comparison/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निधान-वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त; उपमानार्थे अव्ययवत् (like a treasure)

• सुकृतम्: merit (good deed)
• सुकृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृत-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कीर्तनात्: from (its) proclamation
• कीर्तनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; हेतौ (from proclaiming)

• व्यर्थम्: fruitless
• व्यर्थम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिङ् (विधिलिङ्/optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भस्महुतम्: like an offering into ashes
• भस्महुतम्: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्मसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भस्म-हुत (प्रातिपदिक; हु (धातु)+क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘as if offered into ashes’

• तथा: so/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverb/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (thus/so)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: a chest of treasure locked and hidden (representing concealed merit) contrasted with a ritual fire pit filled with cold ash where a vain man drops offerings while onlookers applaud—showing futility of fame-seeking.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Conceal merit to preserve its spiritual potency; boasting renders virtue ineffective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography, but the verse itself is a universal dharma teaching within the Kāśī discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A discipline of secrecy regarding one’s religious acts and charity, likened to guarding a treasure.